Donald McCain keen to get Peddlers Cross back on track

The value of Kempton Park’s 'jumpers’ bumpers’ day was never better
illustrated than by Donald McCain’s eagerness to send Peddlers Cross on the
long trip from Cheshire on Friday in an attempt to get the gelding’s
Cheltenham campaign back on the road.

Admitting that he had not even finalised a Festival target for the 2011 Champion Hurdle runner-up, McCain has removed some of the uncertainty in his plans by plumping for the all-weather surface rather than waiting for the all-clear to be given at turf tracks in the icy grip of the weather.

“Peddlers Cross is in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham, but with Doncaster [where he also holds an entry] in the balance, I thought Kempton would be the best place,” McCain said in his Betfair column.

The gelding disappointed over fences at last year’s Festival, finishing eighth in the Jewson Chase, having earlier in the season been second to Sprinter Sacre in the Wayward Lad Chase at Kempton. He has not run for more than nine months.

“He’s had time off and a few niggles. So, we are hoping to give him a nice experience on his return to racing,” said McCain. “He’ll have a good surface to race on. He’s in good order at home and it’s time to crack on with him. There have been some decent horses run in the jumpers’ bumpers, Oscar Whisky won there last year.”

Clearly, McCain is puzzled as to whether he would be better going back over hurdles, aiming for staying races left open by the absence of the injured Big Buck’s, or having another shot at re-establishing this bold jumper over fences. After landing his first two races over fences, both at Bangor, Peddlers Cross may have been demoralised by the experience of coming up against Sprinter Sacre at that early stage of his career.

Hopes of Cheltenham’s Festival Trials Day taking place as scheduled on Saturday have risen despite an inch of snow on Tuesday night, but prospects are not as bright at Doncaster, who called off their Friday meeting on Wednesday, and Saturday’s card hinges on a 2pm inspection on Thursday. Friday's Huntingdon meeting has been abandoned.

Dana Brudenall-Bruce was the last of a line of breeding success

One of the last direct links with one of Britain’s most successful racing and breeding families was broken with the recent death of Dana Brudenell-Bruce, the owner of Snailwell Stud. She was 83.

Mrs Brudenell-Bruce, daughter of Stanhope Joel, owner of Busted and Chamoissaire, had the distinction of owning a champion two-year-old, the winner of an Irish Classic and a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.

Circus Ring, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, was the outstanding juvenile filly of 1981, Opale, trained by the late Alec Stewart, took the 1984 Irish St Leger, while Alverton, ridden by Jonjo O’Neill and trained by Peter Easterby, won the 1979 Gold Cup in the family’s famous pink and green colours.

Alverton, which she owned in partnership with her sister Solna Jones, first wife of trainer Tom Jones, was later killed in the Grand National.

Mrs Brudenell-Bruce was one of the first women to be elected a member of the Jockey Club and was passionate about her horses. A thanksgiving service will be held at St Peter’s Chruch, Snailwell, following her cremation early on Thursday.